WEST HAM are not in a position to be picky at the moment. So, when Gianfranco Zola says he wants to focus on the positives after beating Burnley 5-3, despite conceding three late goals, you can understand his point.
Granted, hitting the self-destruct button for the second time in a week is not the best preparation for entertaining defending Premier League champions Manchester United on Saturday, but three points is three points.
“Nobody was expecting them to score three goals,” said Zola after the fireworks had ceased and the dust had settled on Saturday. “We were in total control of the game. Last week we were 2-0 up and they came back. Right now we are a little bit shaky, but it has been a good day for us.
“I know we have to defend better in certain circumstances, but Saturday was a good day.”
It certainly was. The midfield showed they are finally prepared to answer their manager’s call for more goals, as Jack Collison delivered on his pledge in these pages to get on the scoresheet more often. Junior Stanislas and substitute Luis Jiminez also found the net.
Guillermo Franco demonstrated that he is a more than capable foil for Carlton Cole, as he led the line with distinction, and got himself the goal his efforts deserved.
At least the game was dead and buried by the time Steven Fletcher’s brace and Chris Eagles’ strike threw the cat amongst the pigeons late on. Ten minutes more and the result may have been very different, though.
The makeshift defence, containing the returning Danny Gabbidon and young Manuel Da Costa at its heart, dealt comfortably with Burnley’s limited attack for much of the game at the weekend.
But, once the fifth Hammers’ goal went in, the visitors were made to look like world-beaters, as they punched hole after hole into the back four to the point that it began to resemble a collinder.
Scott Parker, so instrumental throughout the match, admitted there were things that need to be addressed ahead of the United clash.
“It’s a strange feeling that we won the game and got three points, but obviously a little bit gutted that we’ve conceded three goals,” he said. “I think, at this moment, and the way things are going for us, we just need to be thinking about the positive things. At the moment we are a little bit nervy, you can see that in the way we play at times. There is something there at the moment but we’ve scored five and won the game. There is a little underlying problem there that we need to sort and we will do that in the right way.”
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